“You looked as if you had some reservations about the whole thing.”
She shook her head, and he suspected that if she did have qualms, she wouldn’t share them with anyone.
A smile tugged at her lips. “I just thought maybe you were being railroaded into helping. If you don’t have time to go with me, I can do it on my own. You’re busy with the farm and with helping Ben Stoltzfus, as well.”
“I’ll make time,” Aaron said. “Maybe we’ll get lucky and find the right place the first time.” That would probably cheer her up.
Sarah’s lips curved, but he suspected she was still worried. “I hope it won’t be difficult. Allison has her heart set on putting on this festival, and she definitely has a knack for getting other people excited, too.”
“That’s what we need, ain’t so? Everyone pitching in to help.”
She nodded, her smile becoming more natural. “I was glad to see Jonah taking his turn with the patrolling last night. Did he tell you we both had the same idea?”
“Jonah? No.” Aaron’s throat tightened. “When was this?” He tried to keep his voice casual.
“It must have been around nine-thirty, I think. It was already dark, anyway. Mamm and Grossmammi had gotten involved in plotting this festival, and we talked longer than we meant to.” Sarah started walking, and he fell into step with her. “I was checking the outbuildings after Allison left, and when Jonah came out of the shadows by the barn, it scared me for a second. He’s lucky I didn’t scream.”
“Ja, lucky.” Jonah must have been on his way to whatever he’d been doing last night, then. It had been nearly two when Aaron caught him creeping into the house. “I didn’t know he was going to check your place.”
Aaron could feel Sarah’s gaze on his face. She’d probably heard an intonation in his voice that he hadn’t intended to let slip.
“He mentioned something that made me think he was trying to prove to your daad that he could take on the responsibility.” She hesitated a moment. “Are there troubles between the two of them?” Sympathy warmed her voice.
Aaron shrugged, trying to loosen tight shoulder muscles. “Daad gets frustrated with him, that’s certain sure.”
“I always think rumspringa is hardest on the parents. And Jonah being the youngest—well, I’d guess my daad will worry more about Noah than Jonny and Thomas when the time comes.”
“You’re probably right.” Aaron managed a smile. “It’s hard to let go of the youngest one.”
“Especially for Mamm and Daadi. They waited so long for another boppli after me that the boys are extra precious to them.”
“Not more than you,” he corrected.
Silence lay between them for a moment. He tilted the angle of his straw hat to keep the glare of the summer sun from his eyes, and wondered how Sarah managed to look so cool in her green dress and matching apron.
“Your daad fretting over Jonah’s rumspringa behavior doesn’t explain why you’re worried, though.” She gave him an apologetic smile. “I can see that you are.”
“Ja.” He frowned, staring for a moment at the row of maples that lined the quiet street. “I haven’t said anything to Daad, but I don’t think much of some of the boys he’s running with. I hope he’s not headed for trouble.”
“Drinking?” Sarah knew as well as Aaron did how much grief could come from the beer parties the wilder teens managed to have.
“That, ja.” The longing to unburden himself was overwhelming. He let out a long breath. “Last night I heard him sneaking in—not that he managed to be very quiet about it. He was stumbling around, more than half-drunk. I quieted him down so he wouldn’t rouse the whole house, and got him to bed.”
“And now you don’t know if you did the right thing.” She said the words he’d been thinking.
“Ja. Maybe it would have been better for him to face Daad. But...the thing was, his clothes smelled of smoke.” There, it was out.
Sarah didn’t speak for a moment, absorbing it, weighing the significance of what he’d said. Then she brushed his arm lightly. “You’re worried. I guess I would be, too. But think about it, Aaron. There was no barn fire last night. Isn’t it more likely that the kids were partying someplace and built a bonfire? That’s just what they’d do, ain’t so?”
The common sense of her words seemed to make some of his burden slip away. “Ja, that’s true.”
“Besides, I can’t believe Jonah would think of setting a fire. He’s been a volunteer firefighter for over a year. He knows what a barn fire would do. He’d never endanger the animals. Or the other firefighters.”
Aaron let out a long breath, remembering his brother’s face when he’d realized they hadn’t been able to get all the animals out of Ben’s barn. “You’re right. I don’t know what I’m doing, thinking that way about my own kinder.”
“We’re all on edge. Goodness knows what we’ll be like if the fires get any worse.” Sarah’s expression tightened. “If only the police investigator can find the truth...”
Her words trailed off. Was she thinking, as he was, that it might be painful to know the truth?
But it was senseless to worry about the results. Truth was always best.
“Denke, Sarah. Your common sense was just what I needed today.” He glanced around, realizing how far they’d walked. “Where are we going?”
Sarah chuckled. “I’m going to visit Julia Everly. I don’t know where you’re going.”
He laughed, clasping her hand for an instant. “Where is my head? I’ve been that ferhoodled with worrying about Jonah. I’d best get on my way home.” He turned back the way they’d come.
* * *
SARAH WAS STILL thinking about that conversation with Aaron as she turned onto the quiet residential street where Julia Everly lived—not that any street in town was ever very busy, except during a special event like the annual spring fair. The ridge that gave the town its name rose sharply where the street ended, dark green now in midsummer, seeming to guard the town below, keeping its people safe.
Surely Jonah couldn’t be involved in setting fires. Impossible. Aaron had seen that as soon as she’d pointed it out to him. Still, she could understand the nightmare fears that sometimes overtook one in the wee hours of the morning.
Aaron always seemed to feel responsible for the younger ones. She could understand his attitude. She felt the same about her young brothers. Most likely the age gap between him and Jonah made it difficult for Jonah to confide in him, especially about something as sensitive as the boy’s rumspringa activities. Well, maybe the fact that Aaron hadn’t given him away to their father last night would help matters between them.
Things had changed so much in her life in just the past few days—since she’d spotted the smoke announcing the fire at Julia’s barn, in fact. Normally,
